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Algerine-class gunvessel
| Class before = | Class after = | Subclasses = | Built range = 1880 | In commission range = c.1880-1907 | Total ships completed = 3 | Total ships scrapped = 3 }} |module2= pp |Ship beam= |Ship draught= |Ship sail plan=Barque or full-rigged ship |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=*2-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine *Single screw |Ship speed= |Ship endurance=110t of coal |Ship complement=100 |Ship armament=''Algerine'' & Ranger: *1 x (4½ ton) muzzle-loading rifles *2 x 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifles *2 x machine gun *1 x light gun Rambler *4 x 20-pdr breech loading guns *1 x machine gun *1 x light gunWinfield (2008) p.296 }} }} The Algerine-class gunvessel was a class of three Royal Navy composite gunvessels built in 1880. Two of them were sold after only 10 years of service, but the other was converted to a survey ship before commissioning and survived in this role until 1907. Design and construction Designed in 1879 by Nathaniel Barnaby, the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy, the Algerine-class gunvessels were similar to the s of 1875, but with the addition of a poop deck. It had been found that the addition of both poop and focsle made gunvessels far more comfortable in the tropics; an awning spread between the two allowed men to sleep on the upper deck during hot nights. The composite method of construction used iron for the keel, stem, stern post and framing, with wooden planking. As well as the benefits of low cost, this construction allowed repairs to be conducted easily when away from well-equipped dockyards. This was the last class of composite gunvessels built for the Royal Navy. Propulsion A two-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine produced between and through a single screw, giving a speed of about . Sail plan The vessels of the class were barque-rigged, but some of the pictures show yards on the mizzen mast, which would have made them ship rigged. The advantage of the barque rig was the need for less manpower, but on a distant station and with an experienced crew, and infrequent coaling stops, captains sometimes preferred to gain the greater sailing benefits of the ship rig, and had the flexibility to do so. Armament The Algerine-class gunvessels were designed with one (4½ ton) muzzle-loading rifles, two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifles, 2 machine guns and a light gun. The single 7-inch gun was later replaced by a pair of 5-inch breech-loading guns. Rambler, as a survey vessel, was finished with four 20-pdr breech loading guns, one machine gun and one light gun. Service lives HMS Rambler Rambler was commissioned in 1880 and served on the China Station, including a survey in Western Australia.Bastock 1988, p.113. In 1899 she contributed men to a naval brigade during the Boer War, and was sold in 1907. HMS Ranger Ranger served on the East Indies Station. Having been sold in 1892, she was hired as an ammunition hulk during World War I. HMS Algerine Algerine commissioned in 1886, six years after she was launched. Ships Citations References * *Bastock, John (1988), Ships on the Australia Station, Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia. ISBN 0-86777-348-0 External links Algerine-class gunvessels Algerine Category:Gunboat classes